“Did he tell you anything?” Gregor nudged Sammuel.

“... What makes you think that?”

“Lady Valerie told me that I should ask the rest what they know.”

Sammuel genuinely couldn’t tell if Gregor really was a fool or he was genuinely acting. If Gregor was the latter then he had to commend Gregor’s ability to act. This was one of the more well-done ones he had seen in this world.

“I know less than you do.”

“Huh? Less than me? That can’t be right. Martine looks like he knows more.” Gregor recklessly said. Sammuel kept that in mind.

It was odd. It truly was. It might’ve been a simple slip of his tongue but nonetheless, Sammuel wanted to verify it.

“What did Lady Valerie tell you then?”

“Just to ask around. Nothing else really.”

“Really? What about information on the other handlers? Did she say anything about that?”

“Nope. Her mouth was shut. Know what, she’s actually really reliable. She's staying true to her role and I admire that.”

“... Right.”

If Lady Valerie didn’t say anything to you then how did you know? How did you know my handler’s name?

Sammuel didn’t give anything away. Even the rate at which his heartbeat didn’t change at all. There had already been a lot of strange points about Gregor yet there wasn’t enough to make him terrified of him. In the worst possible case, Gregor was part of Capic.

Before they could continue their conversation any further, Martine interrupted them.

“I’ll make myself very clear. You, Gregor, it’s best if you make some distance between her. I’ll be taking responsibility for you here.”

“But-”

“You can’t refuse.” Martine switched his attention to his original target. He didn’t even bother with Gregor’s outlandishly tragic expression. “My name is Martine von Resctus, you can call me either Martine or Officer Martine. Either one is fine by me.”

“Listen loud and clear. I am not particularly fond of repeating myself. Seeing how you’ve acted since the beginning, I can tell you aren’t someone that I’ll need to put on a tight leash. Unlike a certain someone. Any questions so far?”

“Are we going to be stuck here?”

“I’ll get to that but the quick answer is yes. If it makes you feel better, you aren’t the main suspect, well, the two of you aren’t on the priority list. As long as you keep your head down and listen to instructions, you just might leave unharmed.”

“Harm?!” Gregor shouted so loudly that the others grabbed everyone’s attention. “Hehe, I didn’t mean that…”

Martine simply grabbed Gregor by his cuffs and threw him by Sammuel’s side. “Keep him quiet.”

“For now, there are four main suspects. First and foremost is the follower of the Great Human of Poverty, Lilia Dunestro. The next one is an old man that had come from the Hallowed Gap, Henry Palpe. The other one is that girl who keeps crying, Rayah Silverton. And the last one, the only person who has not spoken since the beginning, Blake Burnom.”

“If he hasn’t spoken then how do you know his name? Or the others’ name for that matter.”

Martine answered in kind. “Sammuel Arthus. A name is something far too easy to get if you have the resources. We also know for a fact that you are not part of Capic. And neither is Gregor. We have already verified both of your backgrounds.”

“Are you sure?” A flash of confusion appeared on Sammuel’s face.

What kind of background? Huh?

“The Elevnia Kingdom is not as weak as to not know a native of the neighboring city. You grew up in a family of three. Your father died trying to subjugate monsters. You and your mother run a rundown library on the outskirts of Aganth where you barely make ends meet. Though, I’m very surprised that you’ve actually managed to reach the Awakened Realm despite having barely any resources to do so.”

“You’re a survivor of Aganth? Woah…” Gregor’s mouth was wide open. He did not bother hiding his astoundment. If not for Sammuel keeping his face straight, his mouth would’ve dropped off even harder.

Who could’ve… No, it’s clear, isn’t it? She wasn’t lying. Able to forge something like this so easily. Fian, just how what kind of position did you have in the Genesis Foundation?

“What about this one?” Sammuel wanted to see just what they had on Gregor.

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“An orphan and a beggar. A subpar talent at that. He was supposed to arrive at Aganth but due to the Great Dragon of Moonlight, he stumbled down here. Take care of each other, you’re both in the Awakened Realm.”

Hearing this, Gregor was completely amazed at how detailed the information they managed to gather was. As for Sammuel, he was… utterly disappointed.

At first, Sammuel could forgive the Elevnia Kingdom for not being able to suspect the Genesis Foundation’s involvement in his background but getting Gregor’s true power wrong was just plain wrong. He could clearly see that although Gregor was in the Awakened Realm, he had a Diamond Card Quality. It was unbelievable that they would mistake someone as weak with such overwhelming talent.

This was the same kind of talent that Xeril had, nearly unparalleled. A being that even Sylph was excited about was not such a simple person.

He had been trying to get rid of Gregor in the nicest way possible but it didn’t seem to be going his way. Nevertheless, one thing was for sure. Elevnia is not prepared for what’s to come. The misinformation about the two possibly most outlandish characters was not correctly identified.

“If we’re just going to be sitting around here then I don’t see the point in taking care of each other.” Sammuel noticed it moments before realizing the possible truth. The world was magical and filled with mysteries, if what he managed to guess was correct then it was going to be more adventurous than he had anticipated. “Unless… we aren’t just going to be sitting around here.”

“Sharp. Makes it easier on my end. If that’s the case, that’s all you need to know for now. Just follow my orders and you won't have to worry about anything.”

“Fifteen handlers that are strong. Strong enough to be the backbone of the kingdom, huh?” Sammuel didn’t bother hiding his observations.

“Make of it what you will.” Martine crossed his arms and sat down. His eyes closed as he sat there stationary. From the looks of it, he wasn’t going to be answering either of them. Martine had expected there to be some useless questions but Sammuel caught on far too quickly.

This will be less stressful than I thought. Martine eased up as the King’s plans were being set in motion.

“Does that mean we’re going to be in trouble?” Gregor childishly asked.

Sammuel already had an inkling of what was going to happen. With their lack of accurate information and their seemingly overwhelming confidence, the following outcome will not follow along with what they were hoping for.

With Sylph’s desire to see how it would play out, it was safe to say that this arc of his life wouldn’t just end in the Elevnia Kingdom. There were currents already brewing.

“The Capic, do you know who they are?”

“Me? Ah, they are exactly why I left my hometown. Those guys took over it. I was going to find shelter in Aganth but… you know how that went.”

“Took over, meaning?”

“No one’s left but those who managed to escape.” Gregor shrugged his shoulders. Any semblance of regret or sadness didn’t appear on his face.

This reminded him of Aganth. There were still loose threads that he had left behind. One blaring example was Xeril. He didn’t have the opportunity to meet with him after destroying the barrier.

“You don’t miss them?”

“Sammuel, do I look like I miss anyone back then?”

Sammuel didn’t need to take another look at Gregor to know the answer. As a beggar, he looked just as one would expect. Raggy clothes with countless holes in them, stains that could’ve come from god knows where, and a rancid stench that would put off many people.

Sammuel would’ve left it at that but being in the Awakened Realm, having a Diamond Card Quality, and gaining Sylph’s attention meant that he was anything but normal.

“Fair enough. So, who are the Capic?”

“A bunch of outsiders that decided to band together. That’s all I know about them.”

There was one name that immediately came to Sammuel’s mind. Sebastian Winston. The beastman who had colluded with the Monster Faction and nearly managed to steal Marie away. If not for him using [Ego Overload] then the outcome would’ve been severely different.

“What about their goals? They wouldn’t have just taken over without any reason. Are they staying there at the very least?”

“Woah, woah, woah! Calm down, Sammuel. I’m just one person. I can’t answer it all if you just ask so many at once.” Gregor gave an awkward smile before coughing. “Anyways, like I said, I don’t know why they did that. I went to sleep one day and my hometown was already taken over by the time I woke up. Can’t really know much about that.”

Sammuel began to enter deep thought.

The Capic, the organization that has been moving in the shadows. They’ve already made a move on numerous cities and kingdoms. From how they acted, it seems as if their plans are not simple. Trying to take away Marie, a Hatchling of a Supreme Dragon is enough evidence of that. I still don’t know what they are trying to do but it doesn’t seem small at all.

“That’s enough about me, how about you? Martine said you grew up in a library, how was that like?”

“It… was cozy.”

“Really? I thought fires would be dangerous to put in a place with so many books but I guess I’m wrong. If you don’t want to answer it’s fine but what happened in Aganth?”

“Gained a lot and lost a lot.”

Those words were filled with an unknown emotion. It didn’t feel as melancholy as losing a loved one nor was it enlightening as if one understood everything. It was directly in the middle. Sammuel didn’t regret going through it at all but at the same time, he wished he had done more.

It was a sensation filled with ‘what ifs.’

“But hey, look on the bright side. We’re here.”

“In jail?”

“No. Alive! We’re both alive. And that’s what matters.” Gregor confidently nodded to his own words. He really did seem to believe those words.

In the distance, Valerie took sneaky glances back at the rest. She was all alone without anyone to talk to. She pouted feeling that it was unfair. Her ears perked up as she heard those familiar heavy footsteps right behind her. He roughly patted her pink hair, turning it into a mess.

“The little lass has finally grown up, huh? Already doing important work for the kingdom. If your mother were here she’d be more than proud.”

“Uncle Rothrell, please. I’m currently on duty.” Valerie intently stared at the wall. A sudden burst of laughter came from Rothrell as always. Valerie and Martine’s chemistry for making him laugh was far too much for him.

“What if I tell Officer Martine to act kinder to you?”

“Hmph! I don’t need your help. I’m doing just fine by myself.”

“Very well, if you need me to handle anything at all, just let me know.” The handler who was looking after Lilia was actually closely related to Valerie. Although they weren’t blood-related, the bond between their families was strong enough for Rothrell to call Valerie his niece.

Right after that, a loud clack sounded out. The white room began to shimmer a rainbow color. Everyone within this room was on high alert. The captives were mostly panicking while the handlers were at most taken aback. The sole reason why they had gone here was exactly for this.

“It’s about time.”